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Jim Brown Sues Sony and EA

[Jul 31, 2008, 4:19 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Bloomberg reports that hall-of-fame NFL running back Jim Brown is seeking court orders to stop the use of his likeness in the Madden series and is suing Sony and Electronic Arts, seeking unspecified damages for trademark infringement, unauthorized use of his likeness, trademark dilution and unfair business practices and competition. Word is:

The character, part of the ``Real Old School Teams and Players'' series, is a muscular, African-American running back wearing the number 32 jersey who is featured in the game's ``All Brown's Team,'' Brown said in a complaint filed yesterday in state court in New York.

Brown, who was number 32 for the Cleveland Browns, said in the complaint that he ``never signed away any rights that would allow his likeness to be used.''

Professional athletes now typically sign agreements allowing the use of their names and likenesses, according to the complaint. Brown said in the complaint that, when he played football, ``the NFL had league wide policy that players shall have no lawyers or agents when negotiating compensation. Video games were not invented yet and no union to obtain rights from existed.''

Representatives of Sony and Electronic Arts, the world's second-largest video-game maker, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

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